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High-Field Superconductors under Two-Dimensional Strain in Fusion Energy Tokamaks (an Experimental PhD) – Materials Strand Project

Supervisor: Professor Damian Hampshire (Durham University).

Background:

The fusion tokamaks that are to be built in the next 5 – 20 years are some of the most exciting scientific projects in the first half of the 21st century: the STEP-UKAEA project and the Tokamak Energy STX project in the UK; the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) Tokamak in France; the tokamak being built by Commonwealth Fusion Systems in Boston, USA; and EAST in China. They are all racing to develop fusion energy as the world’s carbon-free energy source. High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) are the enabling technology for these machines since without them, the magnets that hold the plasma would either melt or consume more energy than the tokamak produces. It remains a completely open question as to which HTS materials are the best choice to produce the high fields needed in commercial fusion.  We welcome Physics, Maths and Engineering final year undergraduates or graduates to apply for this Physics PhD that will inform the community’s materials choices and future designs. The imminent timescale for first-plasma in fusion devices world-wide offers a wonderful opportunity for an early career Physicist to help develop our understanding of high field superconducting materials for fusion applications and help lead this field.

Experimental PhD Research Project and Supervision:

In this PhD research programme, the student will measure both the fundamental and extrinsic properties of superconducting materials including the critical current density JC(B(θ),T, ε,). Important research questions include: What is the mechanism that determines the critical current in high magnetic fields of high temperature superconductors? How can we optimise HTS materials to enable commercial fusion energy? What is the role of anisotropy/reduced dimensionality in these materials? Why is the critical current density in state-of-the-art materials 2 or 3 orders of magnitude lower than the theoretical limit in high magnetic fields? Can we understand the nature of flux pinning and flux flow in high Jc materials under strain?  This is a fabulous PhD project that is ideal for a student with a degree in Physics, Mathematics or Engineering and a broad interest in materials and applied Physics. They will be expected to network with scientists throughout the world working on fusion.

The PhD supervisory team will include Prof. Damian Hampshire who is an experienced member of the high-field applied superconductivity and fusion energy community. The 4 year PhD is fully funded through the Fusion CDT partnership which gives an excellent exposure to many of the best Universities in the UK, an excellent taught course in fusion energy, exposure to the fusion community across the world and provides a non-means tested stipend (£20780 in 2025). The PhD is formally based at Durham for access to high magnetic fields and cryogenic facilities, but the training in the fusion CDT means you spend about 6-8 months during the first year of your PhD at CDT partners. It will also probably involve working in an International laboratory (usually the USA, Japan or EU) for at least one collaborative project in the 2nd or 3rd year. The Research Groups are committed to developing an environment that produces world-class science and is inclusive, flexible and family-friendly.

Skills the student will learn during the PhD:

  • Transferable Skills.

Communication: Presentations at conferences and developing collaboration. Personal: Networking skills. Working with expert senior staff, junior staff and staff providing services. Writing: Reports, Conference and Journal publications. Critical thought. Computerised Data Acquisition and Analysis. Technical Design:  CAD Design of hardware with new functionality and understanding materials. Knowledge:  Understanding magnetically confined fusion and high field superconductors. Time management.

  • Specialist Skills and Know-how.

Knowledge: High field superconductors for fusion applications. Use of: High magnetic fields; Cryogenic liquids; High performance computers; High current power supplies; Low voltages; materials at high and at cryogenic temperatures. Design of new experiments.

Materials projects:

For this project, the student will be based in Durham – during the first six months of the PhD, the student will typically travel to attend taught modules at all six of the Fusion CDT partner universities.

The project will be based in Durham, but there is the opportunity to travel to conferences and collaborate with other groups. The students will complete their collaboratory for 6 – 8 weeks – typically with colleagues in Japan, the USA or the EU.

This project is offered by Durham University. For further information please contact: Prof. D. P. Hampshire (d.p.hampshire@durham.ac.uk).

This project may be compatible with part time study, please contact the project supervisors if you are interested in exploring this.

For details on how to apply, please visit: Apply

Image above: LHS: 2G High temperature superconducting tape; RHS: Transport critical current density as a function of field, field angle and strain at 77K.

A. I. Blair and D. P. Hampshire Critical current density of superconducting-normal-superconducting Josephson junctions and polycrystalline superconductors in high magnetic fields, Phys. Rev. Research 4, 023123, 16 May 2022.  P.O. Branch, Y. Tsui, K. Osamura and D. P. Hampshire. Weakly-Emergent Strain-Dependent Properties of High Field Superconductors. Nature Scientific Reports 9:13998 (2019).